Exceptional work ethic paired with hard work and determination has been a winning recipe for a young woman who recently bagged her first prestigious accolade since stepping into the teaching profession.
It has been a year since Sinead Beukes stepped onto the premises of Zwelethemba High School, with nothing but big dreams to change the lives of the learners running around on the school playground through the Business Studies and Life Orientation lessons she would teach.
Little did she know that merely 12 months after entering the “School of Excellence” she too, would hold the school’s vision in her hands, beaming with pride.
A foundation of excellence had been laid in her high school years already as she had been part of a community where excellence is passion at her alma mater, Worcester Gymnasium.
Beukes had received recognition for teaching Life Orientation by the Western Cape Education Department at an event that was held at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town on Tuesday 5 October, which is also Teacher’s Day. The news of the nomination came via a WhatsApp group. The awards would then take place on Teachers Day.
“I have to be honest, I was quite surprised as I didn’t expect it but as the surprise and shock settled down, I was just excited,” she says relating to how she felt after receiving the news that she had won.
“Recognition means acknowledgment, validation, appreciation, it means being seen and that is something all of us want.”
She further mentions that as a new school with the first group of matriculants, there is a lot of pressure on teachers and learners to perform academically so the recognition for them affirms the hard work that has been invested.
“As clichéd as it sounds, my vision was and continues to be to make a change in the lives of learners. Everyday I choose a different learner and find at least one way of helping them and this is how I make sure that I don’t lose sight of that vision.”
When asked about the challenges faced by young educators Beukes answered: “Challenges differ from school to school. It may be things like not having enough resources, poor infrastructure and poverty among learners, just to name a few. The way I see it though, is that no challenge is too big to conquer.”
Although small in physique, this teacher is the epitome of the saying: Dynamite comes in small packages. The 26-year-old teacher who is a firm believer in life-long learning plans to leave a legacy at the school and with her learners.
